So said President Obama on Tuesday in announcing a historic, broad-based plan to combat the climate crisis. "The president outlined a Climate Action Plan that will help curb carbon pollution, develop clean energy sources, promote energy efficiency, and assert American global leadership on climate issues," said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, who met with the president before his speech.

Obama said the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline will be a no-go if the State Department determines that it will lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. After rejecting KXL, he will need to keep taking bold steps like ending Arctic drilling, mountaintop removal, and protecting our public lands from mining and drilling.

"Some ideas in the president's Climate Action Plan, like pursuing 'clean coal' technology, investing in nuclear power, fracking, and building overseas markets for U.S. natural gas, are either wrong-headed or dead ends," Brune said. "But President Obama has reasserted his leadership on climate with both words and deeds, and for that, he deserves both our deepest gratitude and our whole-hearted support."

Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Fiat, Tesla, and Smart are all manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs). So how do you figure out which one’s right for you? The Sierra Club's new EV Guide brings together, for the first time in one place, an EV buyer's guide, the Sierra Club's Go Electric campaign, information on EV incentives and emissions, and current specs for available EVs -- all based on where you live.

Cash-strapped parks around the country need your help -- and Sierra Club volunteer vacations are your chance to give back. Accommodating all levels of skill and stamina, service trips feature a variety of tasks, with free days to hike, swim, or simply relax among spectacular surroundings. Take your pick of destinations throughout the Lower 48, Alaska, and Hawaii or bring the whole clan for a family-friendly experience.

If you're 18 to 25, you may be able to join selected volunteer service trips for an unbeatable $95, thanks to the Sharon Churchwell Fund. Visit our youth scholarships page for more info.

Funding is limited, so don't wait until the last minute!

Protect Alaska's Bristol Bay

Bristol Bay in Alaska is the best salmon habitat on Earth, home to 45 percent of the planet's sockeye salmon. It's also a stunningly beautiful place where forest meets sandy shore and river meets ocean. But mining corporations have their eyes on Bristol Bay for a different reason: They want to turn it into the world's largest gold and copper mine, putting a toxic lake in the heart of this magical place.

The Sierra Club has just released "The Coal vs. Clean Energy Show," a series of short, animated video vignettes that each highlight a different health or environmental impact of coal. An accompanying web-based game featuring the same characters lets viewers try to rack up the highest score.

Most people, when they think about mountaintop-removal mining, think first of West Virginia and Kentucky. But southwest Virginia has endured its share of devastation, and for years the Sierra Club has been working with the local Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards to fight back.

Last week, we won a major victory when the state upheld a decision denying a permit to blow up Ison Rock Ridge in Wise County, ground zero in the battle against mountaintop-removal mining in Virginia.

Best Internship on Earth winners Daniel Cespedes and Izzy Weisz have started their summer adventure, which will take them from the Grand Canyon to Washington, D.C., blogging and producing videos all along the way.

Gray wolves are icons of wild America, but the Obama administration has proposed lifting most federal protections across the lower 48 states -- a move that would end 40 years of recovery efforts. If the plan goes ahead, wolf management will be turned over to the states.

This has already happened in the Northern Rockies, where more than 1,700 wolves have been hunted down and killed in just the past two years.

How have you repurposed an old bike? Share your ideas in the comments.

Photo: Lori Eanes

Support a Path to Citizenship

No one should have to be afraid to stand and fight for his or her family's health based on immigration status. Giving people the ability to earn citizenship will allow them to stand with their neighbors -- and the rest of us -- to protect the air we all breathe and the water we all drink.
But some senators are trying to use the immigration fight to weaken protections for our wildlands by building hundreds of miles of wall along our southern border.

1.) Bestselling author Frances Moore Lappe on her new book, Ecomind: Changing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want.
2.) Janice Nolen from the American Lung Association on the latest State of the Air report.
3.) Green cuisine tips from Annie Somerville, executive chef at Greens restaurant in San Francisco.